A motorcycle vehicle accident in Roan Mountain on Sunday claimed the life of a North Carolina man.
Officials with the Tennessee Highway Patrol identified the man who died as a result of the crash as Raymond William Simcox, age 50, of Marion, N.C.
The accident happened around 1:30 p.m. Sunday on Highway 19E in the Whitehead Hill area of Roan Mountain.
THP Trooper Brad Proffitt said Simcox was traveling southbound on Highway 19E while operating a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. A car traveling southbound in front of Simcox stopped to make a left turn.
“(Simcox) was not paying attention and braked quickly, causing (the motorcycle) to skid several feet and lay bike down on left side, skidding again several feet until it struck vehicle two, that had begun making the left turn,” a THP report on the crash states. Simcox was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash according to the report.
Simcox was transported from the scene by the Carter County Rescue Squad, but according to reports he died a short time later due to his injuries.
The car Simcox collided with was a Ford Taurus driven by a male juvenile. The THP report notes that neither the male juvenile driver nor his 18-year-old female passenger in the car were injured in the crash.
The report notes that speed was not believed to be a factor in the crash. Because a fatality occurred, Proffitt requested tests for the presence of drugs and alcohol be performed on both the male juvenile and on Simcox.